The three people killed were the only ones aboard, Kenitzer said, citing local authorities.

The 730-acre Polsa Rosa Movie Ranch contains a variety of settings for filming -- from a jungle to a mud pit to more desert terrain -- its website notes. Films shot there, at least in part, include "Red Dawn," "Adaptation," "Windtalkers" and "The Outsider," according to the Internet Movie Database.

Only one production -- which is referred to as an "Untitled Military Project -- currently has a permit to fly a helicopter in the northern part of Los Angeles, said Film LA spokesman Philip Sokoloski, whose non-profit agency provides permits for entertainment productions shot in the area.

But it is not immediately clear if the downed helicopter was part of this project or if it had anything to do with a television or film production.